Ultra-budget prerunner build ideas?

[desert_steve]

Maybe reach out to @Giant Geoff and see if he makes anything on the simpler end? I know he offers a kit for D44 (TTB broncos/F150s) that is kind of like a drop bracket with extended radius arms and when coupled with coilovers it works impressively well.

You could also check out threat motorsports and see what dave offers? I know he had WIY (weld it yourself) kits but not sure what hes doing these days.

IIRC, the D50 TTB youre talking about wont work on your truck due to the D50 beams being different length than the smaller D44 that you can buy conversion kits for (meaning the D44 conversion brackets that you mightve been able to run, wont work for the D50 swap).

At the end of the day I would just say to be patient and SCOUR all of the various classifieds for someone selling a D35 kit. Or, buy the WIY cut-n-turn kits that are out there and do it yourself. Of course youll also need radius arms and radius arm mounts, different coils, longer shocks, or just "go big" and run coilovers, which is its own can of worms. As a side note, many years ago we mounted a James Duff kit on my sisters explorer (also D35), and for what it was/is, that kit worked great! Its since been swapped onto my dads ranger and still sees easy dirt abuse regularly. If you could find one of those, I'd jump on it.

 

[UR_Mawm69]

holly crap bro you are so helpful luv you!! the simplicity and straight up-ness is perfect! I just today got a stick welder and tons of 6011 and 7018 stick from a bro who just dipped out of country, all there is to do is get an angle grinder and we will be set! just laid some of my first beads ever View attachment 40177
and this is how its looking so far... a little messy I know but I'm working on it haha!

Thanks for everyone's support so far Ill admit i was a little intimidated by how big this project was sounding but this brought everything back to reality! also Im honored that THE badlinesgoodtimes commented lolll!

actually, thats not too bad at all for your first time. haha. most first timers couldnt even get a "bead" down. haha

Where would I find this thread?? This actually looks doable!

ummmmmmmmmmm.
lemme see.......

ok so I'm not quite sure what "reputable" means is the rough country 4wd 4in lift kit alright? it doesn't come with radius arms or drop pitman arm but it has some other things like springs and shocks that are technically "upgrades" just I'm new so I'm not sure what the big names around here are.

I've been trying to find a kit and as far as I can see, Camburg doesn't sell one for this specific truck(1994 4wd ext cab ranger). but...

tuff country makes one with swingarms for $1500 ( https://buytuffcountry.com/tuff-cou...9ShbJ7q3zhsodHJeDELB-UfYSIHromD_YNTLOOc&gQT=2 )

Jack-it makes a premium one with a premium price tag ($2600!!!) ( https://www.jackit.com/fm104pr-b.ht...gmvs8i_RMH4lw1VEO3AcHpAbwtE2czsxoCaM8QAvD_BwE )

These are the main two other than like solo motorsports and Giant who both make egregiously expensive kits. My other option is probably cheaper but consists of cut and turning f-250 ttb beams and finding shocks and springs from various junkyard stuff to frankenstien a cheap version of those lift kits, the TTB beams from the f-250 would be basically free for me so seems like a good deal and beefier but what do yall think is a better deal

i got you on this too. give me a few hours and once im at work around noonish today, done doing my gay yoga shit, ill post up a bunch of links and stuff

 

[UR_Mawm69]

look here, a lot............ like alot alot
https://forum.badlinesgoodtimes.com/forums/prelander-prerunners-race-truck-builds.6/

and that specific thread is:

I

Thread 'Virginia Prelander Build'

Apr 25, 2025

In the process of building a 1996 F-150 for camping and romping around the East Coast. Threat motorsports is doing the kit - cut and turned beams, radius arms, deavers in the back with 5100's (for now). Doing a refresh of the steering as well, knocking off all the surface rust and, and putting in a set of cheap corbeaus I found on marketplace. Once I sort the suspension out I'll be building a little pop up camper out of extrusion. Probably will keep the stock wheels and bump up to 33's and if I find I need more travel/shock adjustment, I'll step to kings and the threat coilover bucket with...

• iheartponies
• Replies: 9
• Forum: Prelander, Prerunners, Race Truck Builds

• 

like i said, give me a bit to get all my downdiggitydogs done, get my yogi pants off and when im at work, where i should be doing actual work, ill have all the time in the world to post up helpful shit.


(SEE YOU GUYS!!!! I CAN BE GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






with someone of preference, as well......... )

 

[Clycks]

actually, thats not too bad at all for your first time. haha. most first timers couldnt even get a "bead" down. haha



ummmmmmmmmmm.
lemme see.......




i got you on this too. give me a few hours and once im at work around noonish today, done doing my gay yoga shit, ill post up a bunch of links and stuff

Holy crap dude I appreciate you so much! I will start looking for kits on fb, local classifieds, these classifieds, any other places I should look for used parts/kits?

 

[UR_Mawm69]

ok so I'm not quite sure what "reputable" means

IT MEANS TYPE IT IN TO GOOGLE AND YOU'LL GET THIS.
"reputable" -

rep·u·ta·ble
/ˈrepyədəb(ə)l/

adjective

1. having a good reputation

hehehe

it doesn't come with radius arms or drop pitman arm but it has some other things like springs and shocks that are technically "upgrades" just I'm new so I'm not sure what the big names around here are.

I've been trying to find a kit and as far as I can see, Camburg doesn't sell one for this specific truck(1994 4wd ext cab ranger). but...

tuff country makes one with swingarms for $1500 ( https://buytuffcountry.com/tuff-cou...9ShbJ7q3zhsodHJeDELB-UfYSIHromD_YNTLOOc&gQT=2 )

Jack-it makes a premium one with a premium price tag ($2600!!!) ( https://www.jackit.com/fm104pr-b.ht...gmvs8i_RMH4lw1VEO3AcHpAbwtE2czsxoCaM8QAvD_BwE )

These are the main two other than like solo motorsports and Giant who both make egregiously expensive kits. My other option is probably cheaper but consists of cut and turning f-250 ttb beams and finding shocks and springs from various junkyard stuff to frankenstien a cheap version of those lift kits, the TTB beams from the f-250 would be basically free for me so seems like a good deal and beefier but what do yall think is a better deal

holy shit dude. im sorry, i haven't ever been in your shoes and looked for just a standard "Camburg 5.5 kit" i think it was called? maybe not though? ESPECIALLLY IN THIS NEW FANGLED POP CULTURE WORLD WHERE YOU CAN'T CALL SOMEONE GAY WITHOUT GETTING A TICKET.............

i just looked at Giant's site, Threats site, and Camburg.... and none of them have the "standard kit" that im talking about anymore............
look's like you're gonna be stuck with just doing a standard "lift kit" for starters.
BUT, don't just buy one "kit" and be done with it. do the research, find good deals on separate parts, research with exact parts you'll need and get those, and so on.......

anyways.......... all you need to look for for YOU is just (someone else correct me where im wrong/missing something):
a taller "lift" spring:




this kit from Rough Country is the whole "kit". but they do sell just the springs.




Radius arms & brackets for the radius arms:
(these are brand new from Geoff. and for an F1, NOT A RANGER. they look the exact same) but so you can have an example. classifieds somewhere always has some...........





a good shock..............




THATS^^^A JOKE. I'm pretty sure you know what a decent/good shock looks like. haha


a drop pitman arm..... (you dont NEED this to make the truck driveable, but to get it aligned, cycling the suspension right and driving nice, definitely needed)





extended brake lines and alignment cams for the knuckles




............ i think?

don't take my word for it though. wait for someone else to confirm what i said is right or wrong. haha
but i think that's basically all a "Camburg 5.5 kit" was............? except for 2WD maybe it included bent beams? don't worry about this comment though since your 4WD. just talking out loud

Holy crap dude I appreciate you so much! I will start looking for kits on fb, local classifieds, these classifieds, any other places I should look for used parts/kits?

just keep on doing this, in case you skimmed over the 69k times i put it in that post. haha

READ THREADS OF OTHER BUILDS ON HERE OR R.D.C. and skim through allllllllllllllllllllll the classifieds of everything to become familiar with prices of shit


FYI, those images are all from just Googling those main words. READ READ READ and google search everything.

 

[Clycks]

ESPECIALLLY IN THIS NEW FANGLED POP CULTURE WORLD WHERE YOU CAN'T CALL SOMEONE GAY WITHOUT GETTING A TICKET.............

Real

Anyway thanks for the advice I’ll start looking into some new springs and such! One of the rear end leafs are snapped on one side so that’s why I was thinking of doing the rear first, should I ignore that for now and just throw some random stiffer coils on or do what some of the comments have said and build the rear at the same time?

Sorry for all the questions but my adhd ass hyperfixates on anything I’m interested in and suddenly I need to know everything there is to know

I’ll start reading forums though (as hard as that will be for my attention span lol) and get a rough game plan drawn up if you guys want to glance at it when I’m done and correct my mistakes

 

[Clycks]

IT MEANS TYPE IT IN TO GOOGLE AND YOU'LL GET THIS.
"reputable" -

rep·u·ta·ble
/ˈrepyədəb(ə)l/

adjective

1. having a good reputation

hehehe

No shit I meant brands that are reputable

 

[UR_Mawm69]

Real

Anyway thanks for the advice I’ll start looking into some new springs and such! One of the rear end leafs are snapped on one side so that’s why I was thinking of doing the rear first, should I ignore that for now and just throw some random stiffer coils on or do what some of the comments have said and build the rear at the same time?

Sorry for all the questions but my adhd ass hyperfixates on anything I’m interested in and suddenly I need to know everything there is to know

I’ll start reading forums though (as hard as that will be for my attention span lol) and get a rough game plan drawn up if you guys want to glance at it when I’m done and correct my mistakes

well, i mean....... do you need the truck to stay drivable as much as possible?
are you able to keep it down for a day, a weekend, a week, a month? i don't know your situation.

USUALLY/TYPICALLY for most, I would say that it's easier/simpler to do the rear....... you can learn about working on shit while you do that, then start on the front.
if it doesn't matter how long the truck is down for...... fucking do it all at once. but do it RIGHT all at once. don't cut any corners to save time/get it done faster.

No shit I meant brands that are reputable

are you even old enough to know what show that^^^ is from???? hah

 

[Clycks]

are you even old enough to know what show that^^^ is from???? hah

Nope!

And it can be out of commission for a while preferably not too long but I’ve got the egg car to drive in the meantime (siesta se)

I think I’ll go mid travel all around at once at least buy the shocks all together

 

[UR_Mawm69]

Nope!

Nope!

And it can be out of commission for a while preferably not too long but I’ve got the egg car to drive in the meantime (siesta se)

I think I’ll go mid travel all around at once at least buy the shocks all together

yes, do it all at once then. but don't just go tear into it with no parts

get ALL the parts you can figure out you'll need (HINT HINT do this by reading and asking more and more questions, even when you're constantly called a dumbass HINT HINT), then tear it down one weekend when you can have the entire weekend to work on it.

 

[Clycks]

https://www.facebook.com/share/19VQsTNuQW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Im gonna guess that I shouldn’t buy someone else’s cheap project?…

If I sell my old dirt bike I could have 2500 or so extra dollar bucks

 

[UR_Mawm69]

idk... i mean that looks like exactly what you want to build. you'll get no experience building it though. so minus the knowledge you'll get from building your own shit, looks like its everything tha you want

 

[Clycks]

idk... i mean that looks like exactly what you want to build. you'll get no experience building it though. so minus the knowledge you'll get from building your own shit, looks like its everything tha you want

True, but it would save money and allow me to build on to it and maybe go long travel. I was honestly expecting to be shot down immediately but it probably won’t work out, I definitely want to learn some stuff but money is a huge thing haha

 

[UR_Mawm69]

True, but it would save money and allow me to build on to it and maybe go long travel. I was honestly expecting to be shot down immediately but it probably won’t work out, I definitely want to learn some stuff but money is a huge thing haha

i can't say much about your financial position but.... i mean it would save you a lot of money for sure. you could work on that thing little by little too.

idk, id probably shoot him an offer if you got cash ready and see!